The present invention relates to a new and improved method of processing cotton.
Sticky contaminants, resulting from a variety of insects, and especially from the white fly (Bamessia), for instance, are frequently present on cotton when this is picked. Such contaminants, generally referred to as "honeydew" renders the cotton or cotton fibers sticky, and this causes severe problems, especially during the drawing of cotton slivers: as these pass through the conventional pairs of rollers, the honeydew causes adhesion to these rollers, further cotton fibers become attached and the end-result is a work stoppage and the necessity to clean the rollers. This results in a lack of uniformity of the slivers and yarns which are produced, in serious time losses and increase of production costs with a reduction in the quality of the product.
It is known, for example, from a publication by 0. Elsner, entitled "Der Nachweis von Zuckerablagerungen auf Baumwolle"(The detection of carbohydrate deposits on cotton), published in the journal "Textilbetrieb" in the issue of December 1982, pages 22 through 24, that honeydew containing cotton, when heated in laboratory tests in a stationary manner at 130.degree. C. for about 2 hours, becomes discolored due to honeydew caramelization and assumes a yellow to yellowish brown color.
Although the quantity of such honeydew quantified by the content of reducing sugars contained therein, is generally quite low (of the order of 0.1 to 1.5 per cent by weight), it causes serious problems during the various steps of the processing of cotton or cotton fiber, and especially during a spinning process. The present invention overcomes to a large extent the problems caused by such adhesive substances and renders them harmless.
The contamination of cotton with honeydew or the like causes serious problems in the processing of cotton or cotton fibers at various stages of the processing of such cotton or cotton fibers.
It is clear that the inventive method is applicable at any of the stages of the processing of the cotton or cotton fibers, and an early stage is of course advantageous.
Serious problems are generally encountered with such contaminated cotton or cotton fibers, particularly during the processing of cotton slivers on a draw frame. For the spinning process of cotton, a web is formed on a carding machine. Separation of fiber tufts into individual fibers and forming the web are done on a revolving flat card, which is a particular type of carding machine. After leaving the card, the web is pulled through a funnel-shaped hole and thus there is formed a so-called card sliver. To produce a yarn, the sliver has to be attenuated, possibly combed and finally twisted. Six to eight slivers are fed to a draw frame, and these are drawn into one, and this operation is accompanied by attenuation or drafting.